About Image Watermark
A watermark does two jobs: it tells people where an image came from, and it makes the picture less useful to someone who would pass it off as theirs. Photographers use one on proofs sent to clients, and shops use one on product photos. Others use one to stamp a document scan with DRAFT or with the name of the person it was sent to.
Load an image, type your text or choose a logo, and adjust it in a live preview. You choose between a single mark in any of nine positions and a repeating pattern across the whole picture. The download keeps the original pixel dimensions, even though the preview is drawn smaller.
How it works
The same drawing code produces the preview and the final file, and every measure is a share of the image, so what you see lines up with what you get. Size means the width of the mark as a percentage of the image width, whether the mark is short text, long text or a logo. Text is drawn in your system's sans-serif font. A soft outline is added by default, in a dark or light tone chosen from your text color, so the words stay readable on a busy photo.
When you switch on repeating, marks are laid out in a grid with every other row offset by half a step, which is harder to crop or paint out than straight columns. The rotation jumps to -30 degrees if it was at zero. JPEG files are saved as JPEG at 92% quality, and other formats are saved as PNG, which keeps transparency. Because the image has to be redrawn, its metadata does not carry over.
How to use Image Watermark
- Press Select an image, or drop one on the box.
- Under Watermark, choose Text and type your wording, or choose Logo and pick an image file.
- Adjust Size, Opacity and Rotation, then choose a Position, or tick Repeat across the whole image.
- Press Download JPEG or Download PNG. The label matches the format of your image.
A real run
A 48 by 64 pixel test JPEG named photo-with-gps.jpg, with the default text, downloaded as photo-with-gps-watermarked.jpg at 48 by 64. The page reported: Saved as JPEG at 92% quality. The image is re-encoded to draw on it, so the original's metadata is not carried over.
When it helps
- Proofs for a photography client, tiled so they are not usable until paid for
- Product photos on a marketplace where images are often copied by other sellers
- Stamping an ID scan with the name of the company it is for and the date, so it cannot easily be reused
- Adding a small logo to the corner of images for a blog or social posts
Tips for a better result
- For a logo, use a PNG with a transparent background. A JPEG logo brings its solid background box with it.
- Start at about 40% to 60% opacity for tiled marks, which is enough to deter reuse without hiding the picture. For a corner credit, higher opacity at a small size reads better.
- Place a corner mark over a busy part of the image if protection matters. A mark over plain sky can be cropped or painted out in moments.
- For a scan of an ID, write who it is for and the date. A name in the watermark deters reuse more than a generic word does.
Good to know
- A watermark deters copying and does not prevent it. Determined people can crop, paint over or retouch one, and a corner mark is especially easy to remove.
- The original's EXIF, including any GPS position, does not carry over, as a side effect of redrawing. If you need those details kept, this is not the right tool.
- A JPEG is saved again at 92% quality, so there is a small generation loss. Keep your original.
- Text uses your device's system font, so the same settings can look slightly different on another computer. There is no font picker.
Questions people ask
Will the output be smaller than my original?
Its pixel dimensions stay the same. The preview on screen is limited to 1,100 pixels on the long side for speed, but the download is drawn at full size. The file size in bytes may differ a little, because the image is saved again.
Can I watermark a PDF with this?
No, this works on images. For a PDF, use Add Watermark to PDF, which keeps the text in the document selectable.
Does my photo get uploaded?
No. The image is drawn onto a canvas in your browser, and the file you download is created on your device.
Why did the rotation change when I turned on repeat?
A diagonal pattern is much harder to remove than rows of straight text, so the slider moves to -30 degrees if it was at zero. You can set it to anything you like afterward.
What to use next
- Social Media Image Resizer: to fit the marked image to a platform's shape
- Image Compressor: if the marked image is too heavy for the web
- PDF Watermark: for the same job on PDF documents
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